Friendship Tested
by shortlysweet
Summary: Harry skips out on the responsibility of raising Teddy on Ginny's recommendation, leaving his co-godparent Hermione in quite a mess as a new Death Eater plot unfolds with Teddy at the center. Will Harry step up and save them? Will Hermione forgive him? (Canon-compliant if you skip epilogue, R/L, D/G, dark!Ginny/Ginny-bashing, eventual H/HR)
1. Surprises Revealed

_No surprise here, I'm not JK Rowling and I do not own the Harry Potter characters. _

* * *

'This is it. The day we find out what exactly is in Remus and Tonks' will. I'm ready but fidgeting, hoping Harry will hurry along before we're late,' Hermione thinks to herself.

It was quite a shock when she got the owl telling her to come today. She marveled over being included in their will; Harry had been much closer to the pair, for they were a part of what his parents' world had been. He seemed a little surprised when she mentioned it but soon settled into a comfortable smile, telling her that she was always Remus' favorite.

Ginny, on the other hand, was not impressed that Harry and Hermione had been asked to come by ourselves. The redhead narrowed her eyes at the curly-haired brunette sitting on the couch at Grimmauld Place, waiting for Harry to come flying down the stairs with apologies by the dozen for making her worry. Ginny hated the kind of thoughtfulness he tried to show to Hermione, ever since she'd left Ron. Hermione suspected Ginny believed that she wanted to be with Harry. Nonsense. Even if she was in love with Harry, she just wanted him to be happy with Ginny.

"So sorry. I got called into work early and got back late and I do hate to make you worry." Harry's apology could be heard before he was seen and then he shuffled into in the room, hair askance and collar unbuttoned. Ginny made a big show of trying to fix both and giving him a kiss, telling him dinner would be ready when he got back and decidedly not offering a dinner invitation to the girl on the couch, but Harry seemed not to notice. 'Oh well, this is our new normal, so be it,' she thought again.

Grabbing a huge handful of floo powder, he threw it into the fireplace and half -yelled "Banning and Bilkes offices!" She did the same and arrived a few moments later.

"Already let the witch at reception know we're here, you can sit down." He was sitting in one of two squashy purple chairs, which instantly reminded me of Dumbledore's conjured chairs and calmed my nerves as I took a seat in the other.

"What does brightest witch if her time think we will be here about?" He grinned as he flipped boredly through an old witch weekly.

She grinned, looking at the clock. "Well, it must be serious to warrant asking both of us to attend." I grabbed my planner out of my bag, trying to pretend to be engrossed in it, so I could avoid the unpleasant questions he was likely to ask. Things like 'why haven't you been around?' and 'so, are you and Ron completely over?'. I hate those kinds of questions; I'm done with Ron, but I have no good answer besides Ginny for why I haven't been around. As I stared at next week's pages in the planner, I contemplated just leaving as soon as I knew whatever I was there for.

But before my charade went too far, he whispered, "I know she is being weird around you, I'm sure it will be over soon." I looked up at him in surprise, only to hear our names being called as he winked. Oh Harry. Let's not pretend things are how they once were.

I followed him into the office, sure that the next few minutes were going to pass quickly. I had no idea just how quickly, though.

* * *

"And to Miss Hermione Granger and Mister Harry Potter, we do them the honor of naming them the Godparents of our son, Theodore Remus Lupin, and all the duties that entails." The solicitor, Mr. Banning, put down the document and looked at the two for a moment. "I must ask if you know what this means."

Hermione's surprise was still evident on her face as she shakily spoke up. "Well, s-sir, I think it means we are to jointly raise Teddy?" She glanced over at Harry, whose eyes appeared glazed as he was lost in thought.

Mr. Banning coughed, then nodded. "Precisely, Miss Granger. Unfortunately, this guardianship is to begin soon. Andromeda Tonks, young Mr. Lupin's grandmother, has been taking care of him but is no longer able to do so. She asked that I meet with you today to inform the both of you.

"But I-," Hermione began, but stopped herself. "Okay, sir, what time shall we meet here next week?"

"Same time, same place Miss Granger. Mr. Potter appears to need a little more time to digest this knowledge. I'll hope to see the both of you then."

"Certainly, Mr. Banning. I do appreciate it." Hermione stood up, and pulled on Harry's arm. He, too, stood up and nodded at Mr. Banning, still looking rather lost.

"Goodbye, Ms. Granger. I do hope that the two of you can be suitable for Teddy. He does need the sort of parents that can be devoted to him, with all that he has been through in his short life."

Hermione smiled. "I have never turned down a challenge yet, nor failed at one. I am sure Teddy and I will figure it out together." She walked out the door and out of the building, toward the Leaky Cauldron. Tomorrow, there would be time to figure it out, but this afternoon, she needed a butterbeer and some dinner.

She didn't notice Harry following her until she slipped into a booth and he sat across from her.

"Harry! Why are you here?" She tried to sound exasperated, but felt a bit pleased inside. No, Hermione. Stop it, she told herself.

He merely shrugged. "I need food."

"Yes, but you agreed to go eat with Ginny at your home." She tried not to sound cold. "Not that I don't appreciate company, but I have quite a lot to think about."

He looked up at her. "Me too. I- you know, I'd better go home after all. I really don't want Ginny to be angry." Sighing, he stood up. "We should get together tomorrow or the day after to discuss what we're going to do. We have to figure out arrangements between the two of us."

"Of course," she replied, sipping her butterbeer. "I'll devise a working plan, then we can change it to suit us." As her food came, he left, seemingly still in the cloud of thought that he'd been caught in at the law office.

She mentally kicked herself. Was there a way she could get out of this?


	2. Redefining Friendship

Two days later, she received a letter from Harry's owl, Horles.

"Hermione,

Can we perhaps talk at your apartment tonight? I have a lot to discuss, it's been a long two days.

-Harry"

Hermione responded. "No problem," she wrote. "Come at 7."

As she hurried through a very rushed dinner of tea and chips, she thought about what she'd considered over the last few days. If Harry wanted to make it work with her, she would make it work. If he thought that it work better if it was just he and Ginny, she would step back as an aunt.

At 7:15, her floo roared to life and Harry stepped out of the green flames. He looked tired, and she felt bad for not asking him sooner.

"Tea?" she asked, smiling.

He shook his head no, and sat down, staring at her pictures on the walls with just the hint of a vacant look to his eyes. Finally, after a minute, he spoke.

"I can't take Teddy. I hope you can."

Hermione's jaw must have dropped, because he continued. "I know, you probably expected me to, but Ginny thinks it's all too much, that I'm too young to do this." He shrugged. "I tried talking to her, but she's decided. I know you are likely planning on saying yes, so…." He trailed off as he stood.

"So she decides." Hermione started speaking before she could stop herself. "I hope you're doing the right thing. I hope when he asks me why, in 10 years, you have a good answer for yourself." She busied herself with tidying stacks of books, then realized she'd be caring for him on her own and grabbing spare parchment, began a list of what she would need.

Harry remained standing in front of her fireplace, examining the pictures on the mantle. "I know she's taking me away from you. I know why. I want you to know that I'm sorry. I think she just needs this right now, needs me more."

She sighed, looking at the fresh ink blot over "cot sheets, two sets" and rested her head in her hands. "Look, Harry, I can't tell you what to do. All I can say is that I know she's jealous, I wish she wasn't and I hope that someday I can call you my friend again. Until then, until you become the person you have always been, I'm afraid I don't know you." She looked at him. "I guess it doesn't matter if I say this now, finally."

She stood up. "I have always loved you, Harry. Very much. It hurts to see that she doesn't want us to be friends, it hurts that you would listen to her jealousy and lies. I don't think I know the person she's turned you into. I hope you're getting what you want out of life, I hope you're happy - that is all I have ever wanted for you. It doesn't matter that I loved who you were. I could sit by the sidelines and be happy for you, but it doesn't even seem like you're happy. You know how she's cutting me out of your life as even a friend and yet you make no change to what she's doing." Hermione took a long sip of tea, breathing deeply. "Simply, you've made your choice. Especially with Teddy now, I hope you're making the right one. I think you should leave now, though."

She could feel the tension rising in the room, even as her own anger turned to resentment. "So you think less of me because of her?" he spat, angry.

"No. I think less of her because of how she treats you. I think less of you because you know how she treats you and you let her do it." Hermione stomped her foot and snorted. "I don't think Remus, if he knew what you'd turned into, would want you anywhere near his son, anyway."

That did it. Harry hurled a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and yelled "12 Grimmauld Place!" and disappeared, the flames immediately swallowing him. Tears came to Hermione's eyes, but she knew she had to keep it in check. Better he find out why she was angry now than to let it fester for years.

She whispered to the fire, "I hope you're happy with Ginny," and went back to her list. Teddy would be here in four days, and she likely had to move to fit all his things in.

* * *

Hermione showed up alone to Mr. Banning's office on the dreary Thursday afternoon. As much as it pained her to admit, she still secretly hoped Harry would show up, but to her anger, he did not.

"Well, Potter, if you can forget your friends and your godson so easily, perhaps you don't deserve us in the first place," she thought, waiting for Mr. Banning to come in.

The door creaked open and a small toddler appeared with bright green hair. It was obvious he didn't know many words, but he did say hi. She grinned back at him.

"Hello, Teddy." Mr. Banning came in just then, and told her she had one paper of guardianship to sign and with that, she could be on her way with Teddy and the small bag of belongings of his, sitting in the second chair. Hermione hadn't noticed them before, must have been a trick of apparation. Leaning forward, she took the quill and signed the parchment with a flourish.

"Wonderful. You take care of this adorable young lad, Ms. Granger. He is quite the cute fellow!" With a chuckle, Mr. Banning closed the door behind her and she found herself walking out of the building, holding Teddy's hand and wondering what to do next.

She somehow made her way to Averson's Grocery, a small store in her muggle London neighborhood where she proceeded to wonder what Teddy ate. She got a whole assortment of things, and after conjuring a pram for the exhausted toddler and shoving the parcels in the basket underneath, they went home.

Hermione's new flat, since she had just moved on Tuesday, had two bedrooms and a sitting room with a full view of London. It was expensive, but luckily Teddy's care in the will had come with a sizable living quarters budget, and Hermione grudgingly accepted, knowing she would have to find a real home for the tot. Tuesday she had set out, finding this place rather quickly. There was a courtyard with a small playground and it was a short walk to a magical daycare; she snapped it up quickly.

As she put Teddy down for a nap in his new room, she thought about how easily Harry had abandoned him. She wondered why - hadn't he always wanted a family? - but Ginny would easily give him a family. She'd always held Harry in such high regard, figuring he was smarter than Ron, but she had to admit that even Ron would do better than this. Especially now that he was living with Luna, his new girlfriend. Hermione hoped she was still on good enough speaking terms with the two of them to invite them over sometime, since she assumed she would never be getting out again after bedtime.

Shuffling out to make dinner, she stopped in front of the door with the small sign labeled 'Teddy' and under her breath, she made a promise. "Teddy, no matter what, I will not abandon you. I am not just your friend. For now, for always, I will love you like my own." She swore to herself not to think of the former friend and his red-head bossy mistress as she walked to the kitchen.

On her way, she stopped, grabbed a pinch of floo powder and thrust it into the flames, cheerfully shouting, "The Treetops." As a different red-head appeared, she started talking before he could say hello. "Would you like to come to dinner tonight? The both of you? This is my new flat."

He chuckled. "Sure, Herms, let me just verify with Luna. What time?"

She smiled. "7 sharp."


	3. New Wars

Things started taking a turn for the better after several months. Teddy was old enough to sleep through the night and he very much liked his new daycare, as it seemed. He came home saying more words every day, and like any other proud new mum, Hermione couldn't stop talking about them.

Ron and Luna had become better friends to Hermione, and she was grateful for them. Ron would take Teddy to Quidditch games on the weekend, provided he wasn't playing, and tell him all about the sport. Both Ron and Luna had avoided the topic of Harry after hearing nothing but ranting from Ginny, but while Luna was visiting Hermione over Teddy's nap time (and Ron's game time), the wispy blonde girl decided it was time to bring it up.

"Hermione, have you spoken with Harry? I'm sure he would love to know how the two of you are doing." Luna gently spoke, but to Hermione, it was as if a knife were cutting into her with every word.

"No, Luna. He knows where I am if he wishes to reach me." Hermione turned away from the girl, hoping to tidy up the ever-growing pile of toys in the living room and hoped she'd said those words with enough conviction.

"Ginny doesn't seem well lately. She seems preoccupied." Luna began to dust picture frames absentmindedly. "One could even say she might not be happy. Harry, on the other hand, seems almost too happy."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Luna, but I'm not ready to talk about him, okay? Let's drop the subject."

Hermione angrily began throwing toys into a toy box. She let him walk away, let him treat her like garbage for him only to be unhappy with this relationship? Her heart broke at the same time that her head wanted to smack sense into him.

Luna stared at her. "Hermione, I think he probably regrets what he's done. Maybe you should talk to him."

"Maybe, Luna. Thanks." She said maybe only to stop the conversation, but Hermione knew she would think about it again and again. Why couldn't she seem to drop Harry out of her thoughts?

She heard Teddy's babbling right as Ron apparated into her living room. She didn't have time to think about why Harry made the choices he did, she needed to get her son ready for dinner and have a pleasant time in Hogsmeade celebrating Ron's win with her friends.

* * *

"Take a seat, everyone!" Dean called to the four of them. Dean, Seamus, George, Lavender, Angelina, Harry and Ginny were crowded around a large table that Dean magically made larger. The Three Broomsticks was crowded with those celebrating the Cannons' win against the Tornados, and the lively conversations happening around them eased Hermione's mind against the fact that Harry and Ginny were there. She sat with Luna and Lavender on the far end of the table from Harry and Ginny, and feeling herself under Ginny's glare, decided to get Teddy into his high chair with a sippy cup.

"That's it, good!" He loved to look at books while waiting, so Hermione handed him a small stack of his favorite board books. He flipped through the pages, squealing, while she read the menu.

Lavender tapped her on the shoulder. "Hermione! You look flustered. Order a drink, be merry. This is a wonderful end to the playoff season!"

Hermione smiled. "Yes, yes it is! So how've you been, Lav?" The pair launched into a conversation about Lavender's job with Witch Weekly and how she had been faring since the end of the war. Hermione couldn't help but notice Harry stealing glances her way, but she refused to let him talk to Teddy. If he couldn't step up, he had to step out of his life; that's the way it would be.

Lavender, who had finished talking, glanced at Teddy. "I heard about you and the little one. I can't believe you're a mum, even if not - you know, a birth mum." She took a long drink of a purple flashing concoction in front of her. "I think it's amazing that you're doing it for him."

Hermione, who was on her second (or was it third?) butterbeer, couldn't help but cackle. "That's a lot more than some people chose to do." She spoke loudly, catching Ginny's attention. Ginny stood up and whipped out her wand.

"You want to play martyr because of the baby, Granger? You're pathetic." Ginny sneered, and looked at Harry. "You just wanted to lock him to you for life, didn't you?"

Hermione blinked and stood up. "Excuse me, I didn't write the will. I didn't determine Teddy's future. But I will now, and it certainly won't have anything to do with the occupants of Grimmauld Place. I'm sure Remus would be so thrilled that Harry gave up the chance to raise his child for a woman who is so insecure." She snorted. "Trusting the most precious thing in their lives to a guy who thinks nothing of throwing it all away?"

Harry's jaw dropped, but he said nothing. Hermione glared at him, but as she did, she could see he was sorry he'd made his choice. Well, too late for him, Hermione was going to do it by herself. She didn't notice Ginny point her wand nor speak a spell in the boisterous crowd of celebrating fans. Teddy started screaming and Hermione whipped her head around to Ginny as she picked up her son, whispering "Finite Incantatem".

"So you're down to picking on children now, Ginny?" The fire in Hermione's eyes was evident, as Ron and Luna pulled out their wands, just in case.

Everyone at the table stared at Ginny as she swallowed, slowly, and said "So what if I am? You won't get him with your guilt trip, Granger. Your godson is a pathetic excuse to stay by Harry, and you are a pathetic-"

Harry had stood up behind Ginny, pointing his wand at her and apparently uttering a stunning spell.

"I'm sorry." He managed to say in a strangled voice. He walked out and left.

Hermione turned to Ron and Luna. "I'm sorry I came, I didn't mean to make this happen." Luna patted Hermione's arm.

"No, it wasn't your fault. A hex at a baby, I just don't know what got into her!" She was furious. Ron stood up. "I, er, should probably take her back to the Burrow. Mum will let her have it. In the meantime, maybe you should make a report with the Aurors."

Hermione nodded. Lavender helped her pick up Teddy's diaper bag and books, and set off with her for the Auror station in Hogsmeade. She reported the use of a hex against a toddler and they immediately summoned Ginny to the Ministry. Hermione left, exhausted, to put Teddy down for bed after thanking Lavender profusely.

"What are friends for?" Lavender said, as she turned to apparate. Hermione gave a half-smile. At least she still had some good friends.


	4. Revelations

Still don't own Harry and his friends.

* * *

Harry had no idea what to do next.

Ginny injured his godson out of anger, out of pity, on purpose. She was unstable and clearly, he could not be with her. But where did that leave him with his friends? Ron and Luna turned down dinner invites frequently with them, and Ron had apologized many times, but he'd always suspected it was because they took Hermione's side of this non-existent fight.

Except, there was a fight now, wasn't there? Ginny had made sure of that. Harry wasn't sure why she was so jealous. Every time he thought back about it, he asked himself why he loved her.

Wait. Did he love Ginny?

Well, he felt strongly towards her, she was beautiful and funny. She always had a lot to say about quidditch and they could spend hours talking about jinxes and telling stories from Hogwarts. But her jealousy was the reason they never went out; the reason he couldn't see his friends who were girls, or hang out for too long at other people's houses. How could something this complicated be love? Harry contemplated it for a long time. It was true that he had little experience with love, but this didn't seem quite right. She gave him almost no respect as a person, and never asked whether he would mind if she moved in or started planning their wedding before he asked.

She'd stopped working about a month after starting her new job, claiming it was getting in the way of spending time with him, but he knew she was never home when he came home for lunch. The house would be quiet and empty, as always, and for a while he'd assumed she was at the Burrow or job hunting. She never mentioned those places when he'd asked, though, and after one ferocious fight where she hurled books at him as he dodged her hexes, he had quit asking. He remembered that he'd done a record charm on the floo back during the war, and decided to consult it to see just exactly what she'd been doing.

He made his way to the drawing room, looking at the pot of floo powder - rather low, and they rarely used the Floo network these days. "Revelio recordium," he whispered to the fireplace. Bright red lines of places and times appeared, the letters and numbers glowing against the darkness of the house.

Hundreds and hundreds of floos to Malfoy Manor. Was this some sort of joke? Was she working for Malfoy?

Harry threw on his cloak and sailed out the door to the Auror offices. He needed to have a chat with his boss. No doubt Ginny would already be there.

* * *

He turned to look at her, magical ropes binding her body as she sat in the interrogation room. She didn't seem frightened, but defiant as she ignored his questions.

He hadn't let on about Malfoy yet, but he wanted to look deep in her eyes when he did. She sensed a change in his mood and stared straight back at him, willing him to talk about Hermione.

He threw her for a loop. "So, Malfoy Manor. Curious thing there, Gin."

Her eyes went wide but she didn't say a word, and worked hard to lose the look of panic and surprise. His brain told him Malfoy likely had something to do with this, but she wasn't giving him any information.

Suddenly, Harry heard a knock at the door. It wasn't usual practice for interrogations to be interrupted, but Kingsley came in anyway, looking rushed.

"We have word from an informant that Ms. Weasley is not only your girlfriend, but may be a Death Eater sympathizer." Kingsley removed the binding around Ginny's arms, grabbing her hands and pulling up her sleeves.

There, at the top of her forearm, was the Dark Mark. Harry shuddered as Kingsley pushed him out of the room. "You're off the case and any other cases you're currently working on. Please take a 30 day leave with pay. You will need to increase security in your house and in any friends' houses. Go."

Harry apparated directly to the Burrow, to inform them about Ginny. He wasn't there long when he realized the thing the Death Eaters would most want to destroy would be Teddy.

"Molly, I'm sorry, but I've got to go ward Hermione's flat. I'll be back soon to keep you updated." With a crack, he was gone.

He had apparated to Hermione's old flat, but it was clear that she didn't live here anymore. The place was empty, with the scent of new paint wafting through the darkness. Harry remembered he had no idea where she lived, but that likely meant Ginny didn't, either. He apparated to The Treetops, Ron and Luna's house in an old oak that was as whimsical as Luna's radish earrings.

"Hello?" He called. "It's Harry!"

"Bloody hell, mate!" He heard a voice upstairs, followed by a yawn. "Harry, have you any idea what time it is?"

Harry grinned. "It's only 11. Are you telling me you're getting old, Ron?" Ron shuffled down the spiral stairs, shirtless and rubbing his eyes. He padded off to the kitchen, Harry following.

"Well, what is it, mate? Going to wake me up, might as well tell me why." Ron dug around in a jar, pulling out a few biscuits and handing one to Harry. He smashed the rest into his mouth. "Bloody good baker, Luna is, but not a great cook yet."

"Ron, there's something you should know. I just went and told your family, but…" Harry trailed off. "I found evidence that Ginny had been going to Malfoy Manor almost every day, and what's more, Kingsley found the Dark Mark on her."

Ron choked, wheezing on crumbs. "No. Not Ginny. Bloody… I suspected something was up with her when she turned out to be such a nightmare with the jealousy, but I guess it was far worse." He slumped onto a stool at the counter, his head in his hands. "My baby sister."

"I know, Ron. It's tearing me up, too. Why the hell would she do that?" Harry remembered Hermione. "Oh, but there's more. I think Hermione could be targeted, because of Teddy. I need to get to her flat. I don't know where her new one is." Harry nearly yelped as Ron jumped out of his seat.

"Why didn't you say that when you first came in? No time for bloody explanations if the Death Eaters know Ginny was caught!" He strode to the fireplace, threw in the floo powder and called out "The Bard's Crib," then shoved Harry in.

He hoped against everything that he wasn't too late, that his lack of friendship hadn't cost Hermione's life. He could not even imagine what would happen when he got there.


	5. Safe House

He coughed as he landed on the hearth, and shook off his clothes. The place was quiet and the lights were off, as he expected. He walked past the door labeled Teddy and to the room down the hall where the door was open.

She had fallen asleep in her clothes, crying over what looked to be a photo album of their Hogwarts years. Harry immediately felt guilty; why didn't he speak out against Ginny? It was easier to go with the flow when it came to her, but that didn't mean he had to.

He shook Hermione's shoulder gently. "Herms. Wake up, Hermione." Her head popped up and eyes opened, only to see Harry standing there. She leapt out of bed.

"Harry Potter, you need to leave right now! You are not welcome in this house!" She yelled with a shrill tone to her voice, grabbing her wand from her pocket.

"Hermione, listen to me, you are-"

"No, Harry, you listen to me. You chose her, you didn't choose to keep us in your life and you need to go. It was the wrong choice, but that's your problem, not mine." She poked him hard to emphasize each "you," as if she wanted to spit flames at him. Harry grimaced as he thought that she probably did want to spit flames at him.

"Hermione, I would love nothing more than to leave you alone to get upset with me but I'm here officially." It was a small lie, but she needed to listen to him, he figured. "It was just discovered that Ginny has a dark mark. She's been passing information on all of us to Malfoy, most likely. We all have to go into hiding. They will want to kill Teddy first, to get to me."

He then pulled out his wand and started throwing up additional wards for protection in the flat. She just stared at him. "You're serious, aren't you?" she whispered.

"Go now and get all your things and his. Shrink them to fit into his diaper bag and we will go." He continued doing some wards wordlessly, and walked to the living room to close off any floo connections. "Who knows you live here?"

"Ron and Luna," she replied, carrying the bag which was close to bulging. "Should I get him?"

"Yes. Let's go. We'll be stopping by The Treetops first." Harry grabbed the bag and as she came out with a sleeping Teddy, her hand. He apparated them to The Treetops, where Ron was now awake, talking with Luna.

Harry set down the bag and dropped Hermione's hand. "I think we're all going to have to go into hiding. Hermione says you two know where her flat is, and if you know where that is, you likely know where she is." He consulted a parchment list that he'd pulled out of his pocket. "There is a safe house in Godric's Hollow. It's the only one big enough for all of us that's not being used, currently, by the Ministry. I am going to send a patronus message to Kingsley that we will be in that safe house, and he'll send back a portkey. You two-" he said, pointing at Ron and Luna, "-need to pack immediately."

Ron and Luna hurried up the staircase as Ron madly muttered to himself about clothing and work. Hermione watched Harry conjure the bright stag, and a coded message to Kingsley. She gripped Teddy tighter. Now wasn't the time for questions, but her brain was going faster than ever before. She'd only had to worry about herself before; she knew her friends would take care of themselves, even if she did worry about the outcome. But now she had to defend her godson. She immediately thought back to Harry's mum. Did Lily feel the fear that she now felt? How did she spend time with Harry, loving him and teaching him, when she felt like it could all be gone in an instant? So this must be what it's like, being someone's mum.

Hermione had much greater appreciation for every mother she'd met during the war, including her own. Luna came skipping down the stairs with a small bag; Ron carried a broom (always!) and what appeared to be a bag with some books.

Kingsley's patronus appeared, handing Harry a portkey. Harry took it and turned to the others. "All ready?"

A chorus of "yes" could be heard, and Harry grabbed Hermione's bag. They all touched the portkey and were immediately brought to a Craftsman-style bungalow with built-in bookshelves teeming with books around the library. Up the stairs, there were four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The lower level, underground, had a safe hiding room and a muggle entertainment room, filled with games and a small in-house theatre, as well as a playroom.

After she'd conjured a crib in Teddy's new room and placed him in it, Hermione wandered the house. She figured she'd better get used to their new home. Finally reaching the lower level game room, she found the others.

"So, Harry, what about our jobs?" She was still angry with him, but she needed to find out facts before she let loose. Ron and Luna weren't paying much attention as they attempted to play the pinball machine.

Harry looked down at his shoes. "There is a standard Ministry Leave of Absence form for those under protection. It will not be a problem, and your job is allowed to send things through Ministry screening for you to work on here." He sighed, waiting for her tirade to begin.

"And food? Diapers? Everything else?" Hermione's tone took a slight edge, hearing Harry act as if this was so normal. "Mail, parents, friends…"

"You need only ask the pantry upstairs for whatever food or toiletries you need. The mail will be screened and delivered here. Your parents, however, may not be in contact with you, just like the outside world. Friends, too… I'm sorry." He finally met her eyes as he stopped staring at his shoelaces. "This is my fault."

"Honestly, Harry? If you expect me to pity you, I don't. It is partially your fault." Hermione turned away from him and went to the upstairs living room. She conjured a laundry basket and began unshrinking hers and Teddy's clothing, sorting and folding. She then went into her own room and put her clothes away. After a moment, she pulled out her photo albums and unshrunk them, tucking them into the drawer of the nightstand.

She went back downstairs to find Ron and Luna watching telly. She bid them good night and noticed Harry was nowhere she could see him. Finally, she went to the kitchen, made a cup of tea and grabbed a book off of the shelf. As she curled up in her bed to enjoy the tea and reading, she found herself thinking of Harry. As much as she hated it, she wasn't as mad at him. He was protecting herself, Teddy and her friends. He had just lost his girlfriend to the people who wanted to kill him, and she herself wanted to make him suffer, clearly.

Sighing, she turned out the light, forgetting the tea and book. Tomorrow would have to be a better day, even if it meant facing Harry.


	6. Dawning

Still don't own Harry and his friends. Wishing, though.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione cracked her eyes open. It was sunlight. Was Teddy sleeping in? She rubbed her eyes, then remember work! Oh no! She jumped out of bed and realized she wasn't in her bed. She wasn't in her home.

Oh, right. The safe house. _Harry_.

Wrapping on a bathrobe, she quietly sneaked down the hall, headed for Teddy's room until she heard giggling from downstairs, and Ron's voice.

"No, little bugger! We can't ride brooms yet!"

She smiled as she heard Luna and Teddy giggle at Ron's overdramatic responses to everything Teddy did. As she came down the stairs, she gave a grin to her friends, and Teddy ran up to her. "Mamamamama!"

"Teddy!" Her eyes sparkled as she saw how happy she was. It wouldn't be so bad, here with her friends. "Thank you two so much for getting him, I meant to-"

Luna shushed her. "No, Hermione, we were happy to do so. You see…" Ron walked up behind her, placing his hands on her stomach and finishing her sentence.

"We're going to have one."

Hermione set Teddy back down on the ground and shrieked as her friends grinned madly. She wrapped Luna and Ron in a huge group hug, excited for them. "I am so happy for you two. You'll make excellent parents. Merlin knows I'm not a great parent, but I try, and I think that's what counts."

Hermione noticed Harry coming from downstairs. She chose to ignore him during such a happy moment for her other friends.

Luna shook her head and laughed at Hermione. "Of course you're a good parent. We're all good in our own way, I suppose."

Hermione glanced at Harry, sitting in the dining room alone, with a mug of coffee, and started mumbling under her breath. "Unless you skip out on it totally."

Harry slammed his mug down. He didn't mean to get so angry, but how long was she going to hold this against him? "Really, Hermione? We're going to start this again?"

"Start, Harry James? Start?! I believe we would have had to have argued about it before. We've never argued about how you didn't try. We argued about how you didn't want to try. I always hoped you would change your mind for his sake." She spat the words at him, angry, daring him to fight back.

He took the bait. "Maybe I wanted to, but was being manipulated by a Death Eater." Luna and Ron, seizing the opportunity for the two to talk, took Teddy and his breakfast downstairs to the playroom.

Hermione laughed haughtily. "Having a piece of Voldemort inside of you, manipulating you, didn't seem to stop you from standing by your friends before."

Harry glared at her, but he knew she won. She was right; he'd let Ginny's looks and charm (and, well, general ability in bed) win him over to any of her crazy arguments. Hermione continued her ranting and he tried to listen, genuinely.

"I hope she was worth it until she went evil, Harry. If I have anything to do with it, Teddy will never know you had anything to do with him. He will know you as Uncle Ron and Aunt Luna's friend, and that's being generous. I find it crazy that you denied him the one thing you were denied as a child - being a parent who loved him." She shook her head, seemingly having run out of steam. "I will never understand."

"You're right." He let the words out unintentionally, but thought it best to continue, anyway. "You have never been wrong about me, Hermione. I thought I loved her, but I just wanted someone to love me."

"That's right. And I still wasn't enough." Hermione crossed her arms in front of her, as she was standing in the kitchen, glaring at him. "I am bloody sorry I can't be the kind of reassurance the Boy Who Lived needs, instead of some manipulative shrew."

"It isn't about you, Hermione." He slowly drank more coffee, trying to stay awake after being up all night. "I- You know I make bad decisions sometimes. It seemed like you and Ron had moved on. And when you broke up, she became insane. I was in too deep-"

"No! I don't believe that, Harry. You are an Auror. You can disappear forever if you wanted to. What's the truth?" Hermione looked at him critically, but not unkindly, as if she were working out a tough problem.

"Honestly, Hermione, I guess it was lust. She was just so tempting."

She turned and walked down the stairs. He left to go check in for the Leave of Absence forms for his friends.

As she came to the bottom of the stairs, she found Ron and Luna pretending not to have listened. She started talking about it, anyway.

"Harry says him staying with Ginny must have been due to lust." She snorted. "Lust is enough to ruin friendships, to deny your godson, I suppose."

Ron looked at her. "I know you're angry, but doesn't something seem off about that?" He got up, patting her on the back. "Think about it, Hermione. He barely knows why he liked her and he tells you lust?"

She watched Teddy play gleefully inside a tiny house. "Well, it sounds like a fake answer."

Luna sat down next to Hermione, also watching Teddy. "If the Nargles are right, it seems like Amortentia." Hermione scoffed at the Nargles until she thought about Luna's statement.

Her eyes widened as she ran up the stairs to find a potions book. Harry was likely just being a prat, but she knew that she needed confirmation or to disprove this theory before she worked on any sort of friendship with him. She read through the book quickly, looking for the potion reveal spell. _Serium Revelio_… now to wait for Harry.


	7. Under Your Spell

Still not JK Rowling, still don't own Harry and his friends.

* * *

She panicked. Should she do it without his permission? But she needed to know; it would help solve this mystery faster.

He apparated into his room and she heard him come down the stairs. She stood behind a large armoire until he walked into the room, and shouted "Serum Revelio!" as she pointed her wand at him. He froze and immediately, green shining letters popped up over his head.

Lust potion. A mild sedative potion. Headache potion (that one was likely his). Her jaw dropped and she called Ron and Luna into the living room, showing them what was going on. Ron wrote down the names on scrap parchment as Luna held Teddy, then Hermione released the spell. Harry looked angry at first, but noticed their incredulous expressions immediately.

"What is going on?" He looked at their faces as Teddy babbled.

"Harry, that spell tells us what potions you've been given, or have taken. Consumed in any way, really." Hermione spoke softly, as if she was still in disbelief. "They've been weakening you with lust potion and a mild sedative to get you to comply with Ginny."

Harry's head began to spin. "She… gave me potion?" He shuddered, hoping not recognizing it wouldn't cost him his job.

"Don't worry. I can brew the antidotes here." Hermione pulled a cauldron out of the pantry and whispered the ingredients she needed as she read down a recipe; they flew out and catching them, she set each one on the large island counter in the kitchen.

For the better part of an hour, she was stirring, measuring and chopping as she told Harry to take a nap so he wouldn't think too hard about what effects the potions were having on him. Finally, she brought him a warm, steaming mug of each antidote and told him to sit up to drink.

He obeyed, but choked on the first sip. "Herms, these are awful," he groaned as he swallowed down the awful taste. She just rolled her eyes and told him to go back to sleep for another hour.

Harry couldn't sleep. All he could think about was how Ginny had betrayed him so badly; did she ever care about him, or was it a game? When did she fall in love with Draco? And he didn't deserve the kindness coming from Hermione, all of a sudden. He'd treated her like garbage, all because of potions that he should have recognized, and yet he didn't.

What's more is that she still loved him. At least, he thought she did, until he left this afternoon and told her he abandoned her with his godson and broke off their friendship for lust. Sure, some of it was the potion, but it also seemed like an easy out. Harry barely knew love; how could he love another person as a father? He'd never had a family that he could remember, what if he screwed it up.

Then he thought about how selfish those thoughts were. Wow, no wonder Hermione had been mad; it's not as if Teddy had a choice. Harry felt like he was thinking clearly for the first time in a long time. He stood up to go find Hermione folding laundry in her room.

"Hey, can we talk?" He sat at the end of her bed as she shook out shirts, turning them the right way before folding them. Teddy's shirts were so tiny, he noticed.

"Sure." She kept folding, carefully, precisely. She seemed tense, and Harry didn't blame her. "Are you feeling any better now?"

"Um, thinking more clearly." He scratched his head. "Look, Hermione, I'm sorry for all the crap I've put you through. I think those potions and her manipulation, it just got me thinking so selfishly. I can't deny Teddy the kind of life I always wanted; parents are important, even if we're only godparents. I'd really like to see him sometimes."

Hermione looked at his face and saw the genuine hope in his features, for the first time in a long time. Against her will, she smiled a small grin, hoping he was truly changed.

"I agree, Harry, he does need you. He always has. And frankly, I could use a break sometimes. Maybe he can visit you some weekends. We're in a good routine right now." She finished stacking all the folded clothes and returned hers to her drawer; Teddy's went back into the basket until tomorrow. "You should start by paying more attention to him while we're here. He's got to learn to trust you. He knows Ron and Luna better than you right now."

Harry grinned, satisfied that he'd come to an understanding with Hermione, even if it wasn't as much as he'd liked. "I will. Merlin, I was a bloody idiot for so long. Never saw how Ginny was changing me."

Hermione privately agreed, but showed Harry a little bit of support. "It would be hard with potions, yes." She sat near the head of the bed, fluffing her pillows. "I could have used a friend after my breakup with Ron, but that's water under the bridge now."

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I really should have known when all of a sudden, I quit thinking of you every second of the day." Harry looked in her eyes, his own green eyes shining as he grinned that lopsided grin.

Hermione could only blush as she pointed Harry toward the door. "I'm a bit tired. We'll catch up tomorrow."

"Sure thing. Good night, Hermione." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and left. Hermione mused on just how much she had missed "this Harry."


	8. Like Old Times

_ Don't own HP!_

* * *

She woke up with a start. From the squeals downstairs, she could hear Teddy having a wonderful time with Ron and Luna, who had been complete angels in taking care of them. She smiled and wondered if it was possible for her to ask the pantry for more than just food; some sort of gift for them, perhaps?

Her thoughts were broken as a pop was heard on her nightstand. She looked over and saw a scroll, tied with a tiny white ribbon. She pulled off the ribbon and unfurled it, hoping it wasn't cursed. Could they find her in a Ministry safe house?

She recognized the handwriting immediately.

"Tonight, 7, my room. Please let me apologize again. I'll apologize forever, if I have to."

She smiled and sighed, resigned to the fact that she would have to give Harry another chance to prove himself a godparent. To tell herself the truth, she wasn't looking forward to that. Why should she bend so easily?

On the other hand, did it really do Teddy any good if they fought? She could just limit Harry's time in Teddy's life until he'd proven himself. That sounded as good a measure as any, and Harry was one of the only ones who could tell Teddy about his father's exploits as a Marauder with any sort of conviction, as Hermione didn't exactly approve of their activities.

Sirius, rest his soul, was probably somewhere laughing at Hermione finally succumbing to the idea that the Marauders should be remembered. She gave a bright smile and laughed a little at herself at this idea, and got up to start the day.

As she got to the bottom of the stairs, she heard Ron muttering furiously as he consulted a list.

"Ron? Do you need help?" She seemed concerned; he hadn't acted like this in ages.

"No-yes? I don't know. Herms, Luna keeps craving weird muggle foods. She told me to find roast chicken crisps, a jar of sauerkraut and something called vanilla coca-cola." Ron scratched his head. "I tried asking the cupboard for everything, but it only understood the sauerkraut."

She let out a laugh. "Well, Ron, the other foods are what you might call "junk," or just not healthy. They're also rather new products, and if the pantry is old, it won't know them. Just ask Harry to go out into the Muggle world to get them."

"Genius!" Ron exclaimed, racing down the basement stairs. "I always forget he grew up with Muggles."

* * *

Harry brought back Muggle food for everyone, including a pepperoni pizza and chips with curry sauce, around lunchtime. They had a nice day laughing about trying Muggle food (prawn chips? ice creams pre-frozen in the cones?) and played a chasing game with Teddy, wearing him out shortly after dinner.

Harry closed Teddy's door as they exited his room, post-bath and bedtime story. He asked Hermione if she'd care to come to his room to talk things over. She hesitated, wondering if she should let him off this easily, but decided that them not talking was more harmful to Teddy, Luna and Ron as long as they all had to live together.

He pushed open his door. "Ladies first." As she stepped inside, he whispered "lumos."

He'd transfigured the room to look like the Gryffindor Common Room, only smaller, with two squashy armchairs in front of the fireplace. It felt cozy.

"I'm -er, I swear I'm not trying to make this romantic, I just wanted a chance for things to feel like old times." He gulped, hoping he wasn't being too cold or too forward; it was a tough balance.

She grinned at him and sat down in the chair on the left. "Feels just like my favorite."

"I had to make it authentic." It was his turn to smile. "I just hope you realize how bad I feel about all this, that Teddy is missing any time with me that he could have had if it wasn't for Ginny, and if I had just been more observant. To be honest with you, Hermione, things with Ginny haven't been the best for a while."

"Oh?" She waited for a reply as she conjured some knitting needles - just like old times.

"Well, yeah. Either she's been planning this for a while or else I just never fell back in love with her after the war." Harry stared into the fire, kicking his feet up on a footstool.

"Maybe you were never in love with her, you know? I wouldn't think it would just end like that."

"At this point, I don't know what is real." He sighed. "I feel like I'm lost when it comes to know what love really is, you know? Shouldn't be so hard."

Hermione snorted softly. "Heartbreak is just part of getting older, Harry." She finished her thought silently: "I know because of you." She settled into the peaceful quiet, clicking her knitting needles together as she slipped the loops over and over.

She hadn't really ever planned to admit to Harry how she felt, but she ended up doing it. She wondered how he felt about her now, but she knew he had a lot of things to sort out. It wasn't going to happen like magic, she thought bitterly, but maybe they could be friends again.

"So, Hermione, knut for your thoughts?" He held out his hand, pretending to grasp a coin.

"They're more worth a galleon or two to you, you know." She hid a grin, trying to look serious.

He didn't buy it. "Nope. You won't get more than a -wait, does this mean that you want to try our friendship again?" His voice picked up at the end, excited and waiting.

"Yes, Harry."

"In that case, would you like some hot cocoa in celebration? It wouldn't be old times around the fire without that." He stood up, not waiting for her response as he left to go ask the pantry for some cocoa.

Hermione hoped what she was doing was best for her godson, and maybe her heart, too.


	9. St Mungo's

This is sort of fluff, we'll get to the better stuff in later chapters, but Harry's got some thinking to do.

I don't own him or his world, that's all JK.

* * *

The next day, Harry awoke to a pinging noise as he noticed it was still dark outside. It was a Ministry Communication to Safe House Occupants, and this one was addressed to him. He grabbed it off his nightstand and groaning, he rolled over and pulled his glasses on to read.

"Harry,

Please meet me at St. Mungo's Curse Ward at 9am. We have much to discuss, but it should be done in person.

-Kingsley"

Harry wasn't surprised. He'd dropped Kingsley a note days ago about his being dosed with potions and what Hermione had brewed for him. Kingsley was disappointed that he hadn't come in to get checked as they could add charges to Ginny's sentence, but he told him that he couldn't have forced him to do so, since Harry would have to decide about the charges and they would have to have traced them back to Ginny, a difficult task.

He swung his legs out of bed and shuffled down the hall, ready to take a shower and see what exactly was so bloody urgent. He'd been looking forward to spending time with his friends today, being friends again.

He realized, once out of the shower, that he'd completely forgotten to bring clothes. Drat. Now he'd have to walk half naked down the hall in the cold. He decided to run for his room. Opening the door, he counted down in his head.

"One, two, three!" He ran.

Hermione had just awoken to check on Teddy and happened to be standing in the middle of the hall - until she was knocked down by a half-naked Harry.

"Oof, geez, Harry!"

"Sorry, Herms." He started to get up.

She blushed. God, why did he have to be so hot? He wasn't yet fully forgiven… they were just taking it slow with their friendship. "Uh… No problem. Be more careful, Harry."

He noticed her blush. "Oh, like what you see, Granger? Play your cards right, you never know what could happen." Now standing, he winked at her and walked around her to get to his room.

She didn't dare turn around to look at him again, she simply muttered "prat." He snickered.

* * *

A bit later, he found himself walking up to the Curse Ward. He wasn't sure why he was here, but he surmised that something must be going on with Malfoy. He found himself arriving before Kingsley and he settled in to read an old Witch Weekly about himself. He became quite irate at the speculation about how many women he was seeing on the side.

"Hello, Harry. Glad to see you could make it." Kingsley's deep voice rumbled over Harry's thoughts, and Harry threw down the magazine, slightly embarrassed. Kingsley chuckled.

"Trying to keep up with yourself in the press?"

"No, Kingsley, I was just waiting for you. Er, so why am I here, exactly?" Harry stood up as he spoke, and Kingsley motioned him through a set of double doors.

"We're here to see Ms. Weasley."

"She's here? Shouldn't she be locked up somewhere?" Harry's eyes darted around, as if to check for break-outs by Ginny.

"No, she's under a magical slumber. About an hour after she was arrested, she started trying to harm herself in her cell, and screamed repeatedly. The guards found her bleeding, and subdued her, bringing her here. An initial scan showed that she is under a curse, but we haven't lifted the magical sleep yet to check which one. They're trying to magically repair all broken bones and brain swelling. It takes far more time for healing when you're magically suspended. We expect she'll be awake again in three days."

"So what's this got to do with me?"

"Well, we think she may have been forced to try hurting you or others." Kingsley coughed. "If my suspicions are correct, she is just a pawn in all of this, much like yourself."

Harry was irritated at being called in to speculate about what Ginny's motives could be. He felt he hardly knew her anymore. "Kingsley, look, I'll be back in three days to see what is happening. We will figure it out then, and maybe I can discuss motive. Right now, I am still angry with her and until she gives any sort of an adequate answer, I won't be talking with her." He added in his thoughts, _"Maybe never, even if she was innocent. She took something from me that I can't get back, no matter what potions or spells she's under."_

"I understand. I thought you would want to know." Kingsley walked with Harry out the door of Ginny's room.

"I want the updates, yes. Thank you. I'm sorry. My head is still spinning from this mess." Harry shook his head, as if to clear confusion, and headed toward the apparation points. "And I have a day to spend with my godson."

Kingsley smiled. "He would be happy to know that, Harry. I only knew him through the Order, but he couldn't have chosen two better people to take care of his son." With that, he turned and left.

Harry's smile faded as he muttered, "I hope I can prove I was the best godfather to choose." He apparated back to the safe house's apparation point, having to scan his wand before being allowed in, and took a deep breath. No matter his girlfriend, he had to be a godfather to a very special godson. It was time to live up to his promises.


	10. Her Family

Once at the house, Harry pulled off his coat and heard squealing coming from the basement playroom. He headed downstairs, hoping to find everyone down there. He wasn't disappointed; Luna and Ron were trying to figure out how to play air hockey as Hermione supervised a fingerpainting station.

"Hey there, Teddy bear. Nice painting!" Harry said as he squatted down next to the tiny tot. He got a face full of paint as his reward.

"No fair, little buddy!"

"Na na." Teddy giggled and ran as Hermione tried to wipe off his hands.

"So, Harry, plans for the day?" She looked up after Teddy's hands were clean and paint smock had been taken off.

Harry smiled. "Well, I thought I'd spend some time with my Godson, if that's all right with you, Hermione." He picked up a large dump truck and began stacking blocks in the back, and Teddy came to help.

Hermione grinned at their teamwork. "It is. In fact, I have some work I need to do, so I can get caught up. You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"No, not at all. Just… maybe might need some help when it comes to diapers and lunch."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm sure Ron can help you with the diapers. Everything else, I can handle."

"Thanks Herms."

She left the two of them in the basement as she climbed the stairs to work in the library. Her mind couldn't focus on work, however, after an hour of filling out boring forms. She heated a cup of tea and leaned back in her chair to think.

Sure, Harry looked happier and was nice to Teddy. She was happy he'd be in her godson's life, as she felt he needed as much family as he could get. But what exactly was it that was drawing her to Harry? She didn't think she could still be in love with him and she was fairly sure he would never return those feelings, even if - just perhaps - they were true. He liked girls with beauty, with quick wit. And as much as she hated to admit it, he'd never be a true parent to Teddy if he didn't try to change a diaper or even feed the child. He would be like a fun uncle, a happy person to see but not a parent.

She sighed. Maybe she didn't love him. She was a mum now, and if the person she loved couldn't take her for better or worse, in sickness and in health, mum or no, then it occurred to her that she had to get over that person. The thought hurt her more for Teddy than it did for herself; if Teddy ever found out she loved Harry and maybe he had even loved her, but wouldn't be with her because of fear of being a parent, then he would feel very guilty and blame himself. Not the kind of life she wanted for him.

Flipping through the endless stacks of paperwork sent from her boss, Hermione felt as though she saw things clearly. It wouldn't do to love Harry, and that was that. She loved Teddy more, and he needed her. She made up her mind to try to forget Harry as anything but a friend after this.

She heard the group coming up the stairs, and nearly spilled her tea in surprise. How long had she been thinking? Grumbling to herself as she scrambled to get a last bit of work done before lunch, she heard the door creak open and Teddy's voice appear. "Mama!"

"Okay, Teddy. Time for lunch." She'd just have to finish it later, Teddy came first.

* * *

Later that night, after putting Teddy to sleep for the evening, Hermione snuck back down to the Library to get more work done. A part of her knew she was doing it to avoid Harry ,and that once she spoke with Luna, that Luna and Ron would understand, but she couldn't help it. On top of that, if she didn't send back some of this work soon, she was likely to be fired.

She settled into reading a file and checking more records against it. At some point, she leaned closer to the desk, but the next thing she knew, she was dreaming about flying over London on a hippogriff, and someone was shaking her.

She groggily cracked open an eye to find Luna sitting next to her. "Oh Hermione, I'm sorry to wake you, I just didn't think you'd want to sleep amongst your work."

Hermione gave her a small smile. "Right, Luna, thank you." She wiped her sleepy eyes, then started stacking the papers on her desk. "Anything I can do for you?"

"Actually, yes, Hermione; I know you never took care of a small baby, but do you happen to have a list of all the things we'll need? Ron and I cannot agree on what baby items are essential." Luna gave her a hopeful look as Hermione dug into a diaper bag.

She pulled out a worn piece of parchment. "This was my original list, but I'd have to amend it because most of this stuff is never used!" Luna gave her a bright smile.

"Can you amend it downstairs? I don't like the library in this house, it feels as though Melatraps are hiding behind the books," whispered Luna, in her usual dreamy-yet-mysterious voice.

"Of course." The two went downstairs, Hermione grabbing a muggle pen along the way to make it easier to write, and saw the boys battling in a game of pool.

She crossed through many things on her list and added a few. She handed the list to Luna. "I got most of these things in Diagon Alley or in muggle London, I'd be more than happy to go with you to find them sometime." She looked around the basement. "Well, whenever we can leave this place, that is."

Luna smiled as she read the neat list. "Of course. I think that would be lovely!" Luna babbled on about baby names and their meanings as Ron and Harry finished up their game.

"Oi, Luna, we're not naming our son Finleaf!"

"Of course not, Ronald. Finleaf is for a girl." Luna smiled brightly and grabbed Ron's hand. "Let's chat upstairs, I don't think that Harry and Hermione want to hear our name arguments." Hermione wanted to ask them to stay, but felt it would be too transparent. Harry would be on to her discomfort.

He grabbed a drink off the bar, and slid into the chair across from her seat on the couch. "So, Herms, caught up on work?"

"Not yet." She fiddled with the pen.

"Sorry to hear that. So, er, we could play a game if you want."

"Oh, no thank you, Harry. I was thinking about reading."

He smiled. "Always reading, always learning, that's you, Hermione."

For a reason she couldn't quite describe, she felt a bit offended. "Yes, I do read to learn, so what?"

"I didn't mean anything by it. Sorry." He looked a bit sheepish. "Maybe we could work out the best time for me to see Teddy, then? I mean, when we're back in the real world."

She hesitated. She was irritated with the fact that it would still be so easy for him to be a part time godfather even though she had to be there every day. "Look, Harry, I might have… that might not be best."

"What do you mean?" A look of confusion and anger swept over his face. She braced herself.

"I mean, it's so easy for you to waltz back in and tell me that you can be a good godfather, but really, are you any sort of father? Being with a kid for one day a week and not taking care of him, letting his godmum do all the work, is that really an equivalent?" Her voice had a weary quality to it, but he was too angry to notice.

"I wasn't aware that it was up to you when I got to see him."

"It became up to me the moment you didn't sign a custody form." She shot him a pointed look.

"That's what all this is about, isn't it? You are never going to let it go, that I didn't choose him right away because I was bloody poisoned by a crazy ex-girlfriend?" His uncontrolled magic shattered a glass but she didn't even wince.

"That's not it. How would you feel if you took care of a child twenty four hours a day, seven days a week for five months as a single parent, then have someone waltz in and pretend to be a parent, the fun parent, for one day a week and make you feel like a bloody fool? I know what I look like to people outside the situation, Harry. I made a choice best for Teddy and I will never regret it, but exactly how many dates do you think I get? How many men want to be with a woman who has full custody rights of a child without thinking, bloody hell, she must want a ring? Not very bloody many, I'll tell you that." Hermione's rage was quietly filling every word, every moment of silence. "Ginny could have been tough to deal with, but you know nothing of the hardships of being a parent, alone."

"So this is about what's best for you, then." He felt like had her there. She let a few moments pass and then the rage boiled over.

"You should be grateful that it's me that took him! You would have never had a chance to see him, ever again, once you gave him up if I hadn't been named. You can't just decide on a whim what is good for him, even though you have no legal standing for that? I don't think so, Harry! Not everything in life has to be best for him, it just has to be good enough for both he and I, since we are a family." She let these words hang in the air as she carefully arranged her files into their boxes.

Harry, meanwhile, was thinking. If her last words had been just slightly more pointed, they would have drawn blood on Harry. His anger had subsided during the silence as he slowly realized that maybe she had a point. "Hermione, I really didn't mean to-"

"Save it." She interrupted him. "I don't need pity, I don't need apologies. I'll just go on, being the girl that manages everything, just like always." She walked up the stairs and he heard the door click shut behind her at the top.

She's right, he thought. I should have been there from the beginning. We're supposed to be a family. We're parents. He sighed and let his head rest in his hands, leaning forward and hoping he'd figure out a way to make it up to Hermione.


	11. Answers Pending

Harry woke suddenly the next morning, hearing a crying Teddy and Hermione reassuring him that breakfast was coming. He started to smile, but remembered the discussion from the night before. Damn. He had been such a bloody fool, potions or not; he'd pushed Hermione away for years, and she was always there to clean up his mess, take care of his responsibilities. Even now, here she was, mum to the son of people she barely knew.

Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, he rubbed his eyes and thought about Remus Lupin for the first time in a long time. Hermione was right; Lupin would be ashamed to call him a friend, with how he'd treated her. After the war and before getting back together with Ginny, he'd never asked her how she felt about her breakup with Ron. He hadn't asked how she was doing at her job, a spell creator for the Ministry, or even how she liked life, post-war. Ginny wasn't the reason Harry had been a bad friend.

He walked over to his dresser, picking up the picture frame with the photo of the Golden Trio from Ron and Luna's wedding, and stared down at her. She was beautiful, but she had always been inexorably tied to Ron. He thought back to the time when he considered giving up his life with Ginny to try for Hermione's heart, but he feared rejection from her, the loss of her friendship. Love was not exactly the easiest to understand for him, having been through so much turmoil and loss in his short life, and the idea that someone may not love him back was crushing. He simply took the easy route, having someone guaranteed to love him, and hoped it was enough.

This morning, it was not enough. He wandered to the shower to clear his mind and jump back to reality. As he climbed in, a note appeared on his bed.

"Harry,

Ginny is awake and with some interesting stories. I do believe you will want to speak with her, as a personal matter.

-Kingsley"

Upon his return to the room, he moved as fast as he could to dress and leave. A distraction from Hermione was exactly what he needed.

* * *

Another mountain of paperwork had come overnight for Hermione, marked urgent. Luna had agreed to play babysitter for the morning and Hermione plopped herself down for an immense amount of research into a particular spell designed to stun, or freeze, all of the people within the area it was cast, while each person still maintained their own stun spell so that they could be renervated at will, individually. It was complex work and she pored over old tomes of spells not used in centuries, looking for that spare bit of magic that would come in handy.

Just before noon, she came across a spell that seemed to do exactly what the Ministry needed for their Magic Reversal squads. She called Ron into the room to see if it would work, hoping it would. She was exhausted from going through book after book, and her neck was stiff. She hadn't slept much the night before, thinking of the fight with Harry. She sighed as Ron came in.

"Desino spatium!" she cried, and before Ron could say anything, he was laying on the ground. She called to Luna, and thought she might have gotten it to work when Luna replied. Victory! She thought, renervating Ron.

"Very funny, Hermione. Call me again and see if I come." He rubbed his head, massaging the spot where he'd just fallen onto it.

"Sorry, Ron. I just solved this big problem at work and for once, didn't have to create anything on a tight deadline. Sometimes I have to make parts of the spell and there just wasn't a safe way to do that here." She held out a bar of Honeydukes' chocolate. "I am so happy right now, though, that I'm going to let you have my last chocolate. I have to tell my boss right away!" Ron shook his head and walked away, munching on the chocolate, as Hermione scrawled down information and stuffed it into the message box in the far right corner of the Library, their only means of communicating outside the safe house. She sighed and headed into the kitchen to make lunch for everyone, humming.

Ron had just come back upstairs, and she heard Luna guiding Teddy up the stairs. She smiled as she pulled out a box of pasta.

"Hey, Herms, I, er, I heard you fighting with Harry last night-" she whipped her head around to stare at Ron, warning him to not go a step farther into this conversation, but he barreled on. "But, well, we haven't seen him this morning. Have you?"

She peered at him strangely. "I'm not his mum, too; I don't know," she snapped.

"Well, it's just that he usually mentions if he's going somewhere. I just hoped- you know what? I'm starved. I'm going to make lunch." Ron felt Hermione's glare, it was so strong. He shied away from conversing at all, let alone about Harry, and opened the box to dump it into the boiling water. "Pasta, great!"

Hermione let out a "hmph!" but sat down at the kitchen island, watching Ron cook. Luna was telling Teddy about wrackspurts in the living room, and Hermione finally got a chance to think about what had transpired the night before.

It was his fault, she thought bitterly. He pushed everyone away, never wanting to get too close, and instead, nearly lost everyone in the process. Ordinarily, she would feel some sort of pity for him, but Harry was old enough to learn from his mistakes, and she hoped he would. What happened to the fiercely loyal boy she once knew, sitting in shabby clothes on a train? How had he become so different, so changed into this person who believed he could do no wrong? Was that what it was, deep down? Harry used to rely on her to be right; now he hated the idea that she could be right, judging by his harsh words to her last night. But she felt that she had to protect herself and her godson; she was a mum.

But right now, she was a hungry mum. She'd think about this later.

* * *

"H-Harry?" He heard Ginny's voice, soft and slightly rough from not being used, as her lips barely moved. Her eyes shot open. "Oh, Harry, I need to tell you everything. They told me to rest when they woke me up, but I have to tell you everything!" She coughed a bit and sipped some water.

Harry just sat there. He wasn't sure how to feel other than angry, but Kingsley had told him to hear Ginny out when he walked into the room. He sighed, and nodded toward her, a sign for her to continue.

"Harry, you have to believe me, that wasn't really me. I would never want to hurt a child!" Her cheeks flushed bright red. "I wouldn't want to hurt you, either. I know it's going to be tough to believe me."

"You're right, Gin, it is tough to believe you. You lied to me for months, according to the Floo recorder." She glared at him briefly.

"I wasn't trying to lie. I was just doing what my mind told me to do. Look, if we're just going to fight, maybe it would be easier for you to question me under some veritaserum. I give permission." The glare on her face was replaced by a slight pout.

"I'll take you up on that." Harry left the room and returned with a dropper. "Kingsley said I only have 20 minutes after you take this and I can only ask you relationship questions."

"Okay. Well… let's begin." She grabbed the dropper and put it on her tongue, and all emotions slid off her face.

Harry began. "Right, well… er, were you going to Malfoy Manor because you liked Malfoy?"

"No."

"Did you cheat on me?"

"Not at first. Not really willingly, I think I was under a lust potion."

Harry grimaced. "Did you love me?"

"Yes, I still do."

"Did you hate Hermione?"

"Because of the spells and potions, yes; before that, I was mostly just jealous of and irritated by her. It was kind of a relief when you stopped hanging out with her as much, and then the potions happened and we never saw her, really."

Harry was now seething; so Ginny really did dislike his friend. "Would you have been okay with me taking Teddy in, had I been the only choice?"

"Honestly, I thought you were too young for the responsibility, but I know how much he meant to you. I would have dealt with it in time."

"So you would have lied to me and then been bitter about it?"

"Maybe. I was bitter when Hermione was chosen, too."

"If she and I had both accepted, what would you have done?"

"I would have hated her. But I love you, so I would have tried to get along with her for your sake. You are worth it."

"Are you in love with Harry or Harry Potter?"

"Uh, both? Either?"

Harry stood up. "Thanks, Ginny. It should wear off shortly. I'll be back tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, Harry. I do still love you." Her blank face began to get a slight worried expression as he left, and he noted the effects of the veritaserum must have been wearing off.

"Bye." He strolled out to meet Kingsley.

"Did you get the answers you were looking for?" Kingsley gave Harry a close look.

"Honestly, Kingsley, I'm not even sure why I'm here. I guess I did. What did they find wrong with her?"

"She was dosed with Amortentia and was sometimes being controlled by an imperio curse, though it looks as if she'd thrown it off several times."

"Merlin." Harry stopped to think. Ginny had been completely honest with him, but some of her answers made him wonder if he could even forget about what had happened. Would they still be together if she hadn't been under curses and potions, dosing him, too? He couldn't answer.

"Kingsley, could you make sure all the alarms are set where they are? You know what I mean. I think I'm going to be spending the night at HQ, clear my head there." Harry saw Kingsley's nod as he walked to the apparation point.

The occupants of the Godric's Hollow Safehouse received another ministry communication.

"H. Potter is on leave tonight; will not be returning to house. Extra alarms have been added; communication for H. Potter may be transmitted through the Library mail and will be sent to him as soon as possible, if he is needed. Additionally, you may ask for extra help for any unforeseen issues by sending a patronus directly to Kingsley Shacklebolt."

Hermione, with a napping Teddy in her lap, crumbled up the parchment and threw it into the fireplace in the living room. So he was running after that fight, huh? Had she been too harsh?

She peered down at the sleeping boy. No. She hadn't. She must protect this little one and that means making the choices that suit them best. She brushed his cheek with her hand, wishing she'd never had to say those things. It wasn't even all Harry's fault; it was Ginny, it was Malfoy, it was everyone.

Above all, he was still her best friend. And while she wasn't going to let him get away with everything, she was going to sit down and have a long discussion about it tomorrow. A real, true, honest discussion instead of the usual slinging of insults and hexes. They both owed Teddy more than the kinds of conversations they'd been having lately, even if it was because of stress or pent-up anger. She could be civil, she could be polite, and she would do what was best, once again, for her godson.

And maybe, just maybe, it would bring her a little peace about the situation. She was ready for things to be better between the Trio. It was time.


	12. His Letter

Quick disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter characters. I don't own most of the things in this story. I am not writing this for profit.

_A/N: I'm sorry to drag this story out, I like my chapters to all be around the same length and this one was getting too long! This really is kind of a filler chapter, solidifying some groundwork for later. It all heats up in the next few chapters, we're getting close to the end! :) _

He didn't sleep a wink that night. He couldn't, tossing and turning in his dark, dreary room at Grimmauld Place, because all he could think about is how much Hermione had meant to him. She had always, always been there, cleaning up messes that were never her responsibility. She'd been a good friend all along, even when he hadn't - and not just because of the potions. Deep down, he'd always known that he was in love with her, but his relationship with Ginny was just easier. Easier to fall into, easier because it was what everyone expected. He started wondering when he was the kind to take the easy way out. Was it war stress? Had Ginny ever really given him a chance to figure out what he wanted?

Not really, and he'd never asked for space. Harry sighed as he thought through the past. Hermione had deserved more than she got. After she and Ron had broken up, he knew Molly had never seen her the same, even after Ron happily married Luna. She wasn't still a part of that big, happy family the same way as before, and he knew it had to be hard on her. It would have damn near killed him, which was part of the reason he stayed with Ginny.

A little voice inside his brain told him that he knew the right thing to do. He needed to write a letter. Harry was a lot of things - quick to anger, frustrated and confused - and all of those things added up to make him simply awful at having this conversation in a calm way. She deserved calm.

Groaning as he noted the time, 4:43 am, on his way to the study, he pulled out the chair and sat down. He pulled out his quill and began writing, until the dawn peeked over the horizon. He stuffed the letter into an envelope and left for the Safehouse. He wanted time with Teddy, hopefully before everyone woke up.

* * *

Hermione awoke with a start. She glanced at her bedside clock; it was 9:45! She remembered having a rough night with Teddy teething, and upon hearing the young boy's laughter downstairs, she sank back into her pillow. If Harry came back today, she had to have that conversation that she was slightly dreading.

She laid on the bed for a few minutes, cherishing the sound of babbling and running that echoed through the house, when she realized it wasn't Ron or Luna's voices that were following Teddy, it was Harry's. Drat.

She shot out of bed and pulled on slippers. Time to go have this conversation. She padded down the stairs and emerged to see Teddy and Harry, both wearing cowboy hats, laughing. She couldn't help the smirk that planted on her face as she fixed a cup of tea to wake up.

Harry spotted her, finally. "Um, Good morning. I hope you slept in well. Ron and Luna haven't even awoken, Teddy was babbling when I got back this morning, so we had a good time trying to figure out diaper changes and breakfast."

"Mhm. I see." She sipped her tea. "I think we should talk, civilly."

"I-I really don't know if I can do that, Hermione." Harry turned away from her. He wasn't sure at what point he should give her the letter.

"No, Harry, this is important to Teddy."

"I'm sure it is, but you see, I kind of have a work appointment this morning." He wasn't lying about the appointment, but it was at the Ministry holding cell to tell Ginny his thoughts. "I really don't have time-"

"Of course. I don't know why I thought you'd have time." She snorted into her cup, shooting him a glare. "It always seems like it's just too inconvenient for you." She placed her cup into the sink and turned to stare at him. "You're different, even if she'd never gotten ahold of you. War changed who you are. Who you were. I don't know."

"Hermione, I just needed time-"

"We all gave you time."

"Well, I'm a stubborn git, is that what you want to hear?" He got frustrated, but shook his head as if to shake off the emotions. "Anyway, here." He handed her the letter, hoping she'd wait to open it until he could stride out the door. "I have to be off now. Teddy already had a snack."

He turned to Teddy, gave him a quick hug and goodbye, and walked out the door to apparate in the back alley.

She pulled open the envelope, and what must have been five feet of parchment was folded, in her hands. She gave Teddy some puzzles and toys, and making sure he was happy, settled on the couch to read.

_"Dear Hermione,_

_Merlin, I've been the world's biggest prat. If that isn't the right way to begin this, I don't know what would be. You were right. You always are. _

_I've been trying for ages to pretend like I could treat you just like any of my friends. But you aren't just any of them, are you? You are Hermione Granger, special, wonderful, my best friend. You know me better than you know anyone and it surprises me that you keep coming back to be my friend, year after year, mistake after mistake. How many times have you cleaned up my messes? No, I don't want to know, that was rhetorical. _

_I'm writing this because I'm never going to fall asleep tonight, knowing I made the biggest mistake when I pushed you away after the war. And because I'm not so great at reading myself, I didn't really think of how bad the mistake was until just today. Today, I went to see Ginny in St. Mungo's. She's in hospital because she's been imperiused and dosed with amortentia by Malfoy, and I'm sure you want every detail but honestly? All her words reflected to me was that I was staying with her because it was easy. She was the easy choice, even if I lost all of you, because I expected that post-war would be so simple, the life I always wanted. _

_You always knew I'd never have that life, didn't you? But you treated me normally, bloody hell, i've never felt as normal as when I'm with you. You call me on my mistakes. You don't care if it makes you the bad guy. I need someone like you - no, I need YOU - in my life. You have never hesitated to treat me like a regular person, and sometimes I think you and Ron and Arthur might be the only ones who see me that way. Hell, maybe I was staying with Ginny just so Molly wouldn't be disappointed. I don't even know, anymore; whatever we had, we were losing well before she ever gave me potions. _

_Merlin, Min, you've had my heart for years, and I have treated you lower than low. I know I have to do better. I know I have to think of others first. I thought I could be selfish after the war, but life is about others; it wasn't just the war that asked that of me. I hope you can find it in your heart to take this apology and forgive me, I will beg you in person, but I had to do it this way. You didn't deserve my usual angry storming away. You deserve more, so much more, from me. _

_I hope we can talk when I come back, now that I'm hopeful that we won't be going round and round with our anger and frustration and pride. And if we never talk this out, if you do think that I'm a lost cause (and I deserve far worse than that, really), I just want you to know that no matter what, all the mistakes I've made, I am never going to regret loving you and I'll always regret taking the easy way to try to be normal. You have been my normal, and I have been nothing but blind. _

_Sending you all my love,_

_Harry"_

Hermione sat, frozen, on the couch as Luna entered the room. She didn't even notice the blonde woman scolding Teddy for jumping into a pile of pillows; all she could think about is the difference between her and Harry. He'd had the weight of the world on his shoulders for so long, he didn't even understand what normal, everyday pressures of adulthood were. She, too, took on far more than her stated responsibilities, and she was starting to wonder if maybe that hadn't driven a wedge between them, too; she didn't know how to be an adult other than to just say yes to every project.

And, if her vanity was to speak, it would say that it felt really good to feel like someone cares again. Hermione wasn't ugly, but she was insecure, busy and now a mum. She couldn't remember the last time she had a date and try as she might, she couldn't escape the desire to feel wanted by someone. It hadn't hurt so much before all of these events, because Harry was different and she thought one day he might just wake up, but she wasn't going to wait around, she was going to live her life. She did just that and now here she was, Harry was awake and they were fighting.

Luna had sat down next to Hermione after getting Teddy re-settled. "Have the Nargles got you, Hermione?"

She chuckled. "Not bloody likely. If they had, I might have understood what to do about this letter." She held it out to Luna, hoping another pair of eyes would make a difference. She watched as Luna carefully read the letter, mouthing each word.

"So he loves you, that's grand!" Luna sounded bright. "Now, what do you think you'll be saying back to him?"

"I don't know. Don't you think he needs time away from everything? This mess with Ginny has only been going on for a short while, maybe he needs to be single and learn how to appreciate his life and who's in it." Hermione wasn't giving in so easily. She thought Harry deserved another chance to be friends if his words were genuine, but she wasn't just going to be someone's relationship of convenience. It was hard to tell if he was lying or not about the love.

"I feel that a good chat should clear things up once he comes back this afternoon. Are you ready for some tea?" Luna disappeared into the pantry and Hermione sat down to play with Teddy. Worry about Harry could wait.


	13. Saving You Again

_Disclaimer: still don't own it. _

* * *

Harry couldn't help it. He was in a good mood. If he knew Hermione as well as he thought he did, then he believed she would really see the genuine love in his words and give him another chance. He didn't deserve her, but she'd never abandoned him, either. They were really tied together at the soul, when he thought about it; he hoped she felt the same.

He arrived at the Ministry after being detained for lunch with Neville, and had been walking through to the holding cells when an old witch stopped him. Inwardly, he chuckled as he noticed her appearance looked rather like a stereotypical muggle witch. She got his attention promptly with a loud, gasping wheeze as she started to speak.

"Mister Potter, is that you? I daresay it is. Might I ask you for some help with this bag?" She gestured to an overfull bag that looked as if it had come from the 18th century. Harry asked to where she needed to be helped; she gestured towards the lifts and he smiled.

"Sure, no problem. Just let me get-"

And just like that, Harry felt the familiar tug of a portkey behind his navel, as the witch cackled.

* * *

Hermione had been putting away laundry, trying desperately to ignore Harry's letter after she'd eaten lunch, when an alarm in Harry's room started loudly beeping. She was trying to get poor Teddy, still teething, to take a nap so she hurried into the room to try to disable it. She pulled out her wand and tried silencing charms.

"Silencio! Muffliato!" Nothing worked; it blared loudly, much like a car horn this time. She guessed it must have been an Auror device designed to wake up someone.

She gingerly prodded the beeping device, much like a muggle pager, with her wand. It glowed red for a second and returned to normal, but again, nothing happened to stop the noise. She grabbed for it using her free hand and felt herself being whisked away via portkey, the tug making her feel sick. What was happening?

She hit the ground with a thud and saw Draco Malfoy using the Crucio on Harry. She was clearly at Malfoy Manor, but couldn't figure out how the device was configured. They hadn't noticed her since Harry was shouting and Draco was laughing loudly, Crabbe and Nott by his side.

She ducked behind a cabinet at the side of the room and, knowing she wouldn't have a lot of time, she thought quickly. The spell from last week, it might be the only thing that could save both of them without risking death.

She screamed "Desino spatium" and hoped it worked - it had never been used in a real world situation like this, these were powerful wizards. A faint orange glow came from her wand. All of a sudden, the room was frozen. It appeared she was the only one awake in the room and she was very nervous - this room, the room of her own torture, made her skin crawl. Should she leave now and get help? What if there were more Death Eaters outside the room, coming for her at any moment?

Hermione doubted the anti-apparation wards would let her leave, and if she left this room, she risked being seen. She could enervate Harry, but he appeared to be badly injured and a stunner was easier to keep him stable right now. She couldn't carry him.

She knew she was losing precious time, but what could she do? The most sense seemed to be to send a patronus message to the Ministry and figure out how to get out of here.

She was just getting ready to start the message spell when a door burst open and, to her immense relief, aurors began to pour in. Kingsley was the second in the room, and he saw Hermione, wand still out.

"Miss Granger? What is going on?" She lowered her wand and glanced around at the aurors nervously.

"Um, well Kingsley, an alarm went off in Harry's room, I went in to disable it so that Teddy would sleep." She breathed in a deep, shuddering breath to tell the story; she had just been so close to death and it looked like she was saved! "It transported me here when I touched it, and by sheer luck, no one noticed me arrive as they were using Crucio on Harry. So, as I had just finished finding an old room stunning spell, "desino spatium," last week for a different Ministry department, it came to my mind and I used it. You should be able to enervate each person individually, though I can't guarantee that."

"Miss Granger, this is highly unorthodox, but you might have just saved everyone's life." Kingsley gave her a small smile. A few aurors had used Incarcerous and the full Body Bind on Malfoy and his cronies. Another auror that she slightly recognized enervated Harry. Hermione gave Kingsley a shy grin, mumbled "just doing my job" and turned to leave. She wasn't sure what to say to Harry, yet.

"Wait, Min, wait, I need to talk to you." Harry pushed away the healers that had gathered around him; he was quite bloodied.

Hermione kept walking, looking for a door out. "Harry, you should recover. You need the rest. You didn't exactly get sleep last night." She turned and looked for the exit, but he grabbed her hand.

"Please, Min, hear me out. You saved my life." He looked at her with a mix of desperation and gratitude. She sighed, and waved her hand.

"Of course, Harry, that's always my job. And when did you start calling me Min?" She tried to look annoyed, but she was very glad the two had survived. She was so grateful to her boss for that spell saving her life, so thankful that Teddy didn't lose another parent, that she lived purely because of instinct, luck and fate.

"When I thought I needed a shorter way to write Hermione. Now that I'm not writing four foot essays every week, my handwriting stamina just isn't what it used to be." He joked. She gave him a skeptical look, but didn't say anything about the nickname. She glanced around at just how many people had swarmed Malfoy Manor; they must have been waiting for this quite a while, to take down Malfoy and the remaining Death Eaters.

"Harry, maybe we shouldn't talk here. You have a job to be doing, and if I'm not mistaken, I believe I just saved myself from having to go live in a safe house anymore."

Harry murmured a few healing spells for bloody cuts on his arm. "No, no, listen to me first. I was going to see Ginny, I needed to talk to her-"

Hermione got annoyed and cut him off quickly. Ginny, really? He needed to see Ginny? "No, Harry, I don't want to listen. I've got to go." Before he could make a move to grab her, she sprinted out the door, moving as fast as she could until she whipped out her wand and thought of her room at the safe house. She apparated in, feeling the wards shift as she did so, and started shoving things into her small bag, shrinking as much as she could. So much for Harry Potter.

"I will always come second. I give and give, it isn't enough." She muttered to no one in particular, tears slipping down her face, as she packed the last of her clothes. She wiped her eyes and went to tell Ron and Luna the good news, sending a Patronus to Kingsley to ask if it would be all right to leave.

Harry, on the other hand, felt the healing spells that the Ministry healers were casting on him as they advanced on him as fast as possible, but ignored the sensation. He hit his forehead with a fist, wondering how he could be that stupid. Of course it sounded like he was going back to Ginny to talk things out when he put it like that. Why didn't he tell her where he was going before he left? Why did he have to be so dense, sometimes? He slowly slipped down the wall where he'd been leaning as the healers took their leave. Did he really just ruin the one thing he'd wanted for so long, yet again? He worried that he was out of chances and out of luck, and he still owed her everything. Well, he would just have to fix it, chance or no chance.


End file.
